ME and Ophelia

Thursday, May 13, 2004

"Pictures which appeared in the Daily Mirror apparently showing abuse of Iraqi prisoners were "categorically not taken in Iraq", Adam Ingram told MPs. The defence minister said the truck in the photos had never been in Iraq. Mr Ingram refused to say any more about the inquiry into the photos by the Royal Military Police because criminal offences may have been committed. The armed forces minister said he was disturbed that troops were being vilified before facts were established."
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Update: The above report has been extended - note the words that Mirror Editor Piers Morgan now uses, quote: "the pictures accurately illustrated the reality about the appalling conduct of some British troops". Also, BBC Political Editor Andrew Marr said senior officers had claimed the photographs were actually taken at a Territorial Army Barracks in Preston, Lancashire. He said Mirror editor Piers Morgan told him on Thursday "there were 'two hopes for my resignation - no hope and Bob Hope', which gives you some sense of the crumbling sense of contrition inside Mr Morgan"
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Update: Financial Times states: Mr Ingram said a Royal Military Police investigation had found that the truck in which the pictures were taken had never been in Iraq. This had also been "independently corroborated", the minister added. Mr Ingram called on Piers Morgan, editor of the newspaper, to "to assist fully in this inquiry" and said that the publication of the photographs had produced a negative impact on British armed service personnel. The military police investigation into the allegations is continuing.
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Update: I'd vote for Piers Morgan, the Editor of the Mirror and its Board to be prosecuted - along with the BBC - for the incalculable damage they have done. The way they have operated over the past two weeks has been outrageous. Whose side are they on, I keep asking myself.

Note, on May 1st I blogged about my disgust at the BBC for stooping so low and choosing to allow unsubstantiated photos, sourced from a tabloid newspaper, to dominate the headlines online. In a posted dated May 2nd, I pinged my complaint about the BBC to four blogging MPs. And on May 3rd I addressed a post to British blogger Scaryduck, who works for the BBC. Here are the posts:

Saturday May 01: DOUBT CAST ON IRAQ TORTURE PHOTOS - Truck shown in photo was never deployed in Iraq

Sunday, May 02: WHY IS THE BBC CONTINUOUSLY STIRRING UP TROUBLE FOR EVERYONE IN IRAQ - And not headlining shocking photos of rape and genocide in the Sudan?

Monday, May 03: SUDAN IS NOT IGNORED BY THE BBC - It's lack of political and media outrage.